KIEV, March 4. /TASS/. Ukrainian national currency hryvnia has plunged because investors left the country after conflict escalated in Donbas, leader of the Ukrainian Choice public movement Viktor Medvedchuk said on Wednesday.

Investors’ behavior "has become one of the main reasons for hryvnia’s plunge," Medvedchuk said. "Over the last week, investors have been withdrawing capitals from Ukraine, prompting a panic at the foreign exchange market," he added.

In 2014, direct investments into Ukrainian economy have decreased by 21%, Medvedchuk said.

Investment from Russia has shrank by 36.5%, from Austria - by 22%, from UK and Italy - by 21% each. "It is quite natural. Neither Kiev’s assurances on its commitment to the European choice nor encouraging statement of European politicians can hold investors in the country where a threat of resuming military actions still exists. Even reforms will not help if the situation in Ukraine is unstable," Medvedchuk said.

Analyzing the reasons for the current situation in the economy, Medvedchuk says he blames it on the policy of the Kiev authorities. "If in spring of 2014 Kiev had heeded the demands of Donbass residents and granted them autonomy, it would have been possible to avoid the military conflict in eastern Ukraine and there would have been no investors leaving and no multi-billion losses," he concluded.